Rare Rolex poised to fetch £120,000 when it goes under the hammer

An exceptionally rare Rolex model is expected to fetch more that £100,000 when it goes under the hammer next month.

The Rolex Submariner 5513, bought from a jewellery shop in Doncaster, is one of the few with a dial showing only the numbers three, six and nine and has been valued between £80,000 and £120,000.

These rare Submariners with Explorer type 3-6-9 dial were produced in very small numbers during the early 1960s, quite often the dials were replaced during natural service intervals which makes these models so rare and highly desirable among collectors worldwide.

Story continues below

Advertisement

It has been predicted that the rare timepiece, which was originally purchased for £69, could be auctioned for as much as £120,000 due to its condition, ownership of receipt and provenance.

According to the BBC, auctioneer David Hare said: “What makes this watch particularly desirable is its condition. Because of their value, counterfeiters do attempt to fake these watches. It’s a stroke of luck that the owner of this watch never had it serviced.

“If he had, Rolex may have replaced the three-six-nine dial and the value of his watch would have dropped from over £100,000 to around £5,000.”

The watch will be sold on 23 May at the Gardiner Houlgate auctioneers in Corsham, Wiltshire alongside approximately another 500 items.

The event will also auction other high-end timepieces, including a rare James Bond Rolex Submariner, with an estimated value of £12,000 to £18,000, and a Rolex Cosmograph Daytona estimated at £15,000 to £20,000.